Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Vigorelli Dark Orange’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Vigorelli Dark Orange’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; and relatively large decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are initially dark red in color becoming dark orange and lighter orange in color with subsequent development giving the inflorescences a bi-colored appearance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘VIGORELLI DARK ORANGE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Vigorelli Dark Orange’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new uniformly mounding and freelyflowering Chrysanthemum plants with unique and attractive ray floretcoloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plantmutation of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Vigorelli Orange’, not patented.The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of‘Vigorelli Orange’ in a controlled greenhouse environment inOostnieuwkerke, Belgium in October, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetativeterminal cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouseenvironment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2013. Asexualreproduction by vegetative terminal cuttings has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Vigorelli Dark Orange’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Vigorelli Dark Orange’ as anew and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant        habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   5. Relatively large decorative-type inflorescences with ray        florets that are initially dark red in color becoming dark        orange and lighter orange in color with subsequent development        giving the inflorescences a bi-colored appearance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the parent,‘Vigorelli Orange’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are not as compact as plants        of ‘Vigorelli Orange’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Vigorelli Orange’ differ        in ray floret color as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have        darker orange-colored ray florets than plants of ‘Vigorelli        Orange’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘PPP COL OR07’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 20,355. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke,Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘PPPCOL OR07’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller than plants of        ‘PPP COL OR07’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were brighter green        in color than leaves of plants of ‘PPP COL OR07’.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences        than plants of ‘PPP COL OR07’.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered later than plants of        ‘PPP COL OR07’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Vigorelli Dark Orange’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoornursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the spring and summer andunder cultural practices generally used in commercial Chrysanthemumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 18° C. to 21° C. and night temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 15°C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and description weretaken. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Vigorelli Dark    Orange’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of    Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Vigorelli Orange’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days            at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days            at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in            color, actual color of the roots dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate            temperature and age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; stems            upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded            appearance to the plant; plants nearly spherical in overall            shape; very freely branching habit, about 25 primary lateral            branches develop, each primary lateral branch with multiple            secondary branches; pinching enhances lateral branch            development; dense and full plant habit; strong and vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 50 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 65 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm            to 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to 2.5 cm. Strength:            Strong, flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly spreading.            Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Luster: Matte.            Color: Close to 144A.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 5.5 cm            to 7 cm. Width: About 3.5 cm to 4 cm. Apex: Rounded to            cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and            serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to            parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            pubescent. Luster, upper and lower surfaces: Matte. Color:            Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close            to 136A; venation, close to 148C. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137A; venation,            close to 147B to 147C. Petioles: Length: About 1 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Slightly pubescent and slightly rough. Luster, upper and            lower surfaces: Matte. Color, upper surface: Close to 146C.            Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;            inflorescences borne on terminals above foliar plane; disc            and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.        -   Flowering time.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower in early October in Belgium.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about five weeks on the plant grown in an            outdoor nursery; inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with            about 20 inflorescences developing per lateral branch with            numerous inflorescences developing per plant.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About            8 mm. Shape: Globular. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close to 144A            and 137C.        -   Inflorescence size and shape.—Diameter: Relatively large,            about 5 cm to 5.5 cm. Depth (height): About 4 cm. Disc            diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Circular; raised dome.            Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About            2.5 mm to 3 mm. Receptacle texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Receptacle color: Close to 144B.        -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 200 or more ray            florets per inflorescence arranged in about ten whorls.            Length: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Oval.            Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect:            Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Luster, upper and lower surfaces: Matte. Color:            When opening, upper surface: Close to 53A. When opening,            lower surface: Close to 179A. Fully opened, upper surface:            Close to 169C; color becoming closer to 24A with            development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 34D;            color becoming closer to 20B with development.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 20 or less            disc florets per inflorescence and massed at the center of            the receptacle; disc florets inconspicuous. Length: About            3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Shape: Tubular,            elongated; apices acute. Color, immature: Apex: Close to            144C. Mid-section: Close to 5B. Base: Close to 145D. Color,            mature: Apex: Close to 12A. Mid-section: Close to 12A. Base:            Close to 12A.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 25 phyllaries            per inflorescence arranged in about two or three whorls.            Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm.            Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Rounded to truncate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Luster, upper and lower surfaces: Matte. Color,            upper surface: Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to            N137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 6 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About            8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.            Luster: Matte. Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:            None observed.        -   Seeds and fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.-   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common    to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new    Chrysanthemum grown under commercial production conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate    temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named‘Vigorelli Dark Orange’ as illustrated and described.